Ladbrokes European Online Championship of Poker

This year's fourth edition of the Ladbrokes European Online Championship of Poker (Leocop IV) promises to be bigger and better following an announcement this week by the UK gambling group that it is to add an extra $500 000 in prize money across the 16 events.

The 2007 championship was a seven day festival of poker with $1 170 000 in guaranteed prize money, which took place at Ladbrokes Poker.com last October. There was a $750 000 guaranteed main event with a $2 500 buy-in which was held over 2 days, together with exclusive trophies for LEOCOP final winners.

This year Ladbrokes is promising a similar format with bigger prizes and a crack at the $1 million televised Poker Million VII, with the action starting on October 26 and running for fifteen days. The first event starts at 19.00 GMT on Sunday and is a $150 + $15 buy-In with $10 000 added. Satellites will be available to give players without the championship buy-in cash a chance to participate.

Much of that extra prize money is being ploughed into the Main Event on November 9, which is to be boosted by $250 000.

LEOCOP this year will feature a new attraction; for the first time, Ladbrokes is running a LEOCOP Leaderboard where the top ten of 80 runners will share in an additional prize pool of $14 000. And all 80 players will be invited to play in a special online LEOCOP Masters tournament on November 22nd for a once in a lifetime $120 000 Poker Million VII semi final seat and a chance to win up to $1 000 000.

The winner there will play in a televised tournament against the likes of the Boatman brothers of Hendon Mob fame, WSOP bracelet winner Ciaran O'Leary and Ladbrokes Pro & Scandinavian Online Player of the Year Jonas Danielsson for a place in the six seater final on December 12th.

Ladbrokes Poker md Edward Ihre commented: "Ladbrokes represents all that is good in European poker at present, excellent value tournaments and an undeniable community element that makes this a great event to participate in. This festival ticks a number of boxes for the savvy player, smaller fields for bigger money, start times that suit people based in Europe and so many poker variants that you'll find something to satisfy your poker needs."